Process of treating ores and metallurgical products.



W. TROELLER. PROCESS 0F TRBATING ORESKAND METALLURGIGAL PRODUCTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25,1910.

Ll L y Patented July 299 1913.

p Nullizxll/zg WITNESSES: l INVENTH 5,' M ggd@ mmf/m #aw/m 7%-1/4/w @QZ/6 i BY I of which man stares 5rerum onirica..

WILHELM'ITRU'ELLEB., or FRANKFonT-onwHE-MAIM GERMANY.

:eno'enss' or casarme cans Ann Mn'TALLUR'GIcAL PRODUCTS.

Specification of LettersgPatent. l

. Application iled June 25, 1910. Serial lilo. 566,885.

To all whom t may concern.' l

Be it .known that I, WILHELM TRonLLnR, citizen of Germany, resident of 7 Bhmen strasse, Frankforbon-the-Main, Germany, metallurgical engineer, have invented a new and useful. Improvement in Processes of Treating Ore's and Metallurgical Products,

the following is a specification. The present invent-ion relates to a process for treating ores and metallurgical products containing volatile metalsand metalloids, especially zinc, lead, arsenic, antimony, quicksilver, tin, with a View to recovering these metals and metalloids and separating them from one another. f

AAccording to a well-known process such ores and metallurgical products are treated by mixing them with line coal (unless such is already present in the material), then feeding the mixture to an appro riate furnace (such as a converter furnace? after having ignited the mass, forcing a current of air under pressureA from 'below upward through the charge. Owing to the eifects of the combustion, reduction and oxidation thus taking place, the volatile metals and metalloids are carried away as such or in the form of oxids, together' with, the current of combustion gases escaping from the charge, and ma be precipitated in suitable condeusers. lirstdrawback to this known process is that the pressure of the Aair conducted ,through the charge must be relatively low, otherwise the chargewould be thrown out of the furnace along with the current of gases. Another inconvenience consists in that the volatilization of the metals in the charge does not proceed in a uniform manner, the air being distributed irregularly over the section of the furnace, and consequently t-he combustion is irregular and substantial diiferences of tempera-` not possible in this known process to recover separatelyseveral metals and metalloids present in the material undertrcatment, though, as is well known, the temperature of volatilization of all these metals is d iil'erent. ln order to realize such separation of and whilein the bulk of theI metals and metalloids which volatilize at raise gradually and in a uniform way the temperature of the whole mass ofthe charge. lVith the known process sucl1.u11"1form increase of th'e temperature prevailing in the charge cannot be obtained on account of the irregular. distribution through the mass of 'the charge in consequence of the formation' of air channels and molr or less import-ant hollow spaces. tion 1s to improve the above described known process so as to remove these objections.

Thejnvention consistsin forcing the curbottom through the ignited charge, which a converter or likefurnace, preferably tapered toward the bottom, the pressure of the air current being comparatively high.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating ax converter furnace 'suitable for carrying out the process'V disclosed in this invention, a is a converter furnace, I) is th'e inlet for air supply, Ac is the furnace grate and d is the outlet for the volatilized metals and metalloids and for the products yof combustion.

In carrying out the present invention, the mixture of oreanclfcoal having been fed in a suiiiciently'thiclglayer to a suitable furnace for instance to a converter) the charge 1s then ignited at its surface and air blown in downwardly from the top through the charge. Combustion gradually progresses toward the bottom of the charge. The furnace being tapered toward thebot-t-om, the air current .first comes into contact with a large mass of the charge so that the greater part of its oxygen is soon consumed. Thus 'by the time the gases reach the lower part of the charge, they contain principally car# bonic oxid and nitrogen, and very-little, if any, oxygen, so that in the first stage of thc operation 'no .combustion of coal can take place in the lower part of the charge, which ecomes, however, preheated to a high temperature by the escaping products of combustion. Owing to the intense combustion of the fuel in the upper part of the charge,

the temperature at which the' metals and metallo-ids volatilize is soon reached and the volatilized metals and inetalloids pass downwardly with the gases to the low'er part of the charge where they are condensed and retained owing to thc filtering effect of the ydifferent temperatures, it isnecessary to' e primary object of the present inven-v rent of air downwardly from the top to theis present,-in a comparatively thick layer, in

of the current of air j found that the first metal vapors which pass out with the gases only contain the zine (partly in a metallic state, partly in form of oxid)v and that it is not till the bulk of; the zinc has been volatilized, that also lead vapors pass out with the escaping productsof combastion. Other metals and in etalloids also behave in a similar manner, as there is generally a distinct period jbetween the moments ot'- ,their volatilization. This phenomenon, which is an vimmediate eiect of the steps characterizing the-present invention, i. of the passage of' lair .under suiiicient pressure from the topsurface of the charge downwardly through a comparatively thick layer ,of a charge' contained in a furnace( which is tapered toward'the bottom, affords the important possibility of separating the different metals and metalloids from one another. It for example zinkiferous or leady ores or metallurgical products are to be' treated, the/current ot' gases mayafter the development of zinc is completed, be directed.to another place, and the lead vapors carried along with the gases may be precipitated separately -from the zinc. The manner .of proceeding` might ofcourse be such that after the zinc development is completed, the airis turned oit and the process terminated, in which case the residues (lett in the furnace in the form of ,a sintered and agglomerated mass) still contain the lead and may be treated in a blast or other furnace forextracting the lead.

Easily volatilized metals and metalloids, such as arsenic, antimony, mercury, contained in the ores and metallurgical products to be treated, 'ill escape before the zine is volatilized and therefore may alsobe recovered separately, ii desired.

In carrying out the process just described, I have found thatl a certain' percentage of water or other vaporizing liquid in the charge is of advantage; the water having the `eifect of extending the preliminary pe-v riod during which the charge is gradually brought to the temperature at which the volatilization of thc' metals and metalloi'ds begins. This prolonged duration of the heating period causes amore uniform distribution of the volatilization temperature over the mass of the charge so that the volatilizationperiod occurs more suddenly and i is ot shorterduration.` This promotes not only a better extraction of the volatile metals and metalloids, but also lallows of a and metalloids.

sharper separation of the various metals Moreover, the favorable 'effectof the addition' of Water may be ascribed to chemical changes.

Having now particularly duscrlbed and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be per# formed, I declare 'that what l claim is:

' l. The process ot' volatilizing zinc lor other metals or metalloids from ores or other materials, which consists in forming a comparatively thick body of the ore or other material mixed with a suliicient quantity of fuel to supply upon combustion the heat required for the volatilization, igniting the body at the top and maintaining combustion by a downwardly directed current of air, which, with the resulting products of con1- bastion is passed with substantially uniform distribution through the' underlying portions of the body, thereby preheating said underlying portions and condensing metallic constituents volatilized from the vupper portions of the body, and continuing the .tiow of air and a uniform progression of the combustion until one or moreof the desired metallic constituents are finally volatilized and removed with'the gases partly or wholly as oxid -from the bottom ot the body during substantially restricted time periods of the voperation corresponding to the volatilisa-V tion temperature ofthe said constituents; substantially as described.

2. The process of volatilizing zinc or other metals or metalloids from ores or other materials, which consists in forming a comparatively thick body of the ore or other material mixed with a sufficient quantity'of fuel to supply upon combustion the heat required for volatilization, said body being tapered toward the bottom, igniting 4the body at the top and maintaining combustion by a downwardly directed current- 'of air, which, with the resulting products of combustion is passed with substantiallyuniform distribution through the underlying portions, oit the body, thereby preheating said underlying portions and condensing metallic constituents volatilized ltrom the upper portions of the body, and continuing the tlow of air and the uniform progression ot the combustion until one or more of the desired metallic constituents are iinally volatilized and removed with the gases partl or wholly as-oxid from the bottom of the body during substantially restricted timel periods of the operation corresponding to The process of volatilizing zinc and other metals or metalloids from oresor other materials, which consists in forming a co1n` paratively thick., moistened body ci the ore or other material ,mixed with va sufficientquantity of ,ijgel :"combustiou lle the heut required for the volatilization, igniting the body at the top and maintaining combustion byu, downwardly directedurrent. oifiaiz', Wl`ich,.with the resulting podnots of combustion is passed with substantially uniform distribution through the yunpre# derlying portions of the body, thereby heating said underlying portions and condensing' metallicl constituents volatilized from the upper portions of the body, and

.oontinning the flow of air a'nd the uniform progression. lof the combustion until one or nioreof the desired metallic constituents are toni of the body during substantially re- .stricted time periods of the'operziton correspending to the volatilization temperatures of the said constituents; substantially as described.

In .testimony whereof' I uiiix in presence of two witnesses. l

.WILHELM TROELLER.

my Signature Vitnelsses JEAN GRUND, CARL GRUND. 

